Many after-market accessories being added in automobiles and other vehicles require specially designed mounting platforms that can accommodate the limited available space normally found in a vehicle for mounting add-on equipment. These mounting platforms must be able to handle the load of the accessory device in the vibration and shock environment encountered in a moving vehicle while still permitting the portable device to be quickly and easily installed in the mounting platform. Some of the currently known mounting platforms are spring biased to open for quick retrieval of the device upon exiting the vehicle. Other known mounting platforms are biased to close quickly after the device is inserted.
However, known mounting platforms apparatus are limited in their ability to provide a full range of device mounting capabilities.